Improvement in hames



Geforye J L etch worth.'

Eames.

' 1 l 6 7 2 5 l- PATENTE JUL '41871 PATENT CEEICE.

GEORGE J. LETGHWORTH, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAMES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,725, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. LETcI-rwoRTH, of Auburn', in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improved draft and holdback attachment for hames for harness, of which the following is a specification The object of my improvement is to obtain a draft and holdback attachment for haines which will be more durable and answer the purpose better than the old two-pronged staple or the circular clip. In the common haines the twopronged staple makes two holes through both the wood and iron strap, so as to cut off nearly, or quite, one-third of the latter, thus weakening the part requiring the most strength. Moreover, the holdback attachment has no support on the outside of the haine except the wood, and, having severe strain upon it, is very liable to get started by the wood giving away, and to come out entirely.

Many devices have been contrived to obviate this difficulty, among which may be mentioned bands to embrace the haine, and to which the draft and holdback-rings have been riveted; but this is expensive and difficult to iit upon the haines. Another device, known as the circular'- clip haines, has been devised, in which a hookband is used to support the circular clip, so that the draft or resistance would be applied to the front of the haine, and which constantly tends to to twist and to rub and wear away the collar. Moreover, in this circular clip there is no holdback attachment, and, consequently, the combination ofthe two devices in one is not obtained.

My improvement is to take the place of the common mode of attaching this clip and the old staple and holdback, and it consists in fitting the draft attachment quite around the front or outside of the wood, so tha-t its thick arm will incline over and form a clamping-shoulder to the band, and its thin end hook on the inner side, so as to bend and support the wood and strap, and combining therewith the holdback attachment in such manner as to secure both attachments by its single bolt, thereby avoiding the cutting of the haines and its band at the point requiring the greatest strength, but holding both firmly by riveting the single bolt of the breast-ring or holdback through the curved band and the wood, so that the eye of the bolt will clamp the plate.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents an elevation of one of a pair of haines embracing my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a ci'oss-section of the same, showing the draft attachment as being secured by the bolt of the holdback, full size; and Fig. 3 represents a view, in perspective, of the draft attachment.

The haines A are made and banded in the usual manner. The draft attachment consists 0f a plate, B, curved so as to fit the outer or front side of the haine, having a hook, a, which fits upon and against the back side of the haine, and an eyearm, b, extending up in an inclined position, so as to be directly over the iron llame-strap c, so that the trace which is attached to it will draw in a direct line like the old-style double-pron ged staple; thus, while obtaining the advantages of a direct draft by a side attachment, obvia-ting the cutting of the hame through its strengtheningband. The plate B is made thin where it hugs the haine, but thick to form the draft-arin b and eye d, andthe inclined position of this arm allows it to lie close to and brace the wood. The breastring' or holdback O is secured to the draft-plate B by a single eyebolt, D, passing through the front side of the curved plate B and the wood, and riveted to the back thereof, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The curved plate B a-nd the wood are therefore pierced by a single hole, and the eye e of the bolt D is clamped directly against the curved plate, which is thus bound to the front side of the haine by the ring-bolt and locked to the back side by the hook a, so that one fastening iirml y secures the two, the dra-ft-plate being sufficiently broad to obtain a solid face-bearing, while the eye e of the bolt draws and holds it firmly to the side and aga-inst the edge of the haine-band. The junction of the arm b of the draft attachment with the haine-band c also forms a shoulder, j', which overlies the band c, and thus gives additional strength to the hame and its band at the point of greatest strain, so that the draft-plate B has three points, a e f, of bracing support upon the haine, which renders the two attachments firm and strong, with no possible chance for either to work loose and pull out the wood.

Having described my invention, I claim- The combination of the draft-eye b, holdbackring C, bolt D, and the lip a, constructed and arranged as described.

GEORGE J. LETCHVORTH. Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

